Traditional, acoustic and deliberately plain are the main assets of "So damn' cool", the eigth album of Philipp Fankhauser since 1989. It's been recorded live at three concerts in March and April 2003.

Phillip Fankhauser, known because of his former group, the Checkerboard Blues Band, and his collaboration with Johnny Copeland in the nineties, plays acoustic guitar and sings. On bass none other than Oakland, California bass player Richard Cousins, who has been Robert Cray's partner in crime for many years. Tosho Yakkatokuo, a former member of the Checkerboard Blues Band, is responsible for the necessary groove.

There have been added three video clips to the thirteen audio tracks cd; a total of four titles are penned by Fankhauser, the majority of the tunes are covers of songs by Big Bill Broonzy, Jimmy Rogers, Johnny Copeland, Jimmy Witherspoon, Lightnin' Hopkins and others.

Fankhauser sings with a variable, rough-smokey, abosolutely convincing voice, that ranks among the best in Europe. It's nice that he admits (and consequently accepts it), and you'd almost come to expect it from him, that "the fingers don't always do what I'd like them to do". This is how he's defining his guitar style. In no way does that impair the feeling and the enjoyment of this album.
The rhythm section with Cousins and Yakkatokuo is, as usual,  mighty swinging and lays a strong bottom for the front man.

Following a trendy and ingenious idea,  three video tracks have been added that shows the trio at Bern, Switzerland's Mahogany Hall in April 2003 (having said that, a second camera would have added some visual excitement).

The tastefully packaged, recomendable cd is available trough Philipp Fankhauser's website.

Rudi Steinke
www.bluesbox.de


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